Red Hand of Doom 5e (IC)

[stack]

Beorn looks the marker over warily. "We have the time, I think. Making friends may prove helpful. Being made dinner, less so."

[DigoDragon]

Freya

"I hope that they speak a language in common with us. Otherwise we will only make small talk among giants."

[Xihirli]

"Jeg ville ikke bekymre meg," Gaks assured Freya.

Spoiler: Giant

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I wouldn't worry.

[Amnestic]

With the decision made you head left - west - down the track into the evermore eerie woods. It's maybe another hour before it comes to an abrupt end in teh shadow of a fairly large hill that looms up from the surrounding woodlands. At the hill's base sits the collapsed ruin of what was once a massive, and probably quite impressive wooden fortress. Entire trees were used to form the walls of this building, but now the whole thing is little more than a heap of moss-covered rotting logs. A thin curl of smoke rises up from a great fire pit in the middle of the old walls, where an enormous boar sizzles on a spit the size of a lance.

A giant sits by the fire, turning the spit and muttering to himself in his own language, though you can't make out the words from a distance. He is extraordinarily tall and lean, with stooped shoulders, earth-yellow skin marked by angry red blotches, and a wild mane and beard of tangled green hair. He easily tops ten feet, even while sitting on the ground. He has his back to you, and is unlikely to have noticed you.

[Xihirli]

Gaks took a deep breath and removed her shield from her arm so that she could hold the gauntlet in both hands. She carefully approached the giant and announced her presence.
"Ikke vær redd! Jeg kommer i fred og bærer gaver!" she yelled to the giant, holding up the gauntlet for him to see.

Spoiler: Giant

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Do not be afraid! I come in peace bearing gifts!

[stack]

Beorn takes a relaxed stance, attempting to look non-threatening as his lack of linguistic ability limits his other contributions.

[Amnestic]

The giant turns as he hears Gaks call out. He's old, you can tell. Probably not got many years left in him, if he even has one. Seemingly automatic, he leaps up and grabs a club that was sitting beside him. Now facing you, you can see a prominent tattoo on his wrinkled forehead - a symbol that looks like a frowning tusked mouth. "Du uh...hva?" Irritation and anger are defused almost immediately by the conversation in Giant and when he sees the gauntlet. It's replaced by what could only be called confusion. After a moment of trying to analyse the situation he seems to give up and sits back down again, dropping the club with a loud thump. With one hand he reaches over to the roasting board and tears off a chunk of meat, seemingly ignorant or uncaring of the heat.
"Fint, fint, kom og ta mat, gavebærere." The last word is said with a bit of jovialness, and he holds the meat out in a gesture of openness. When he next speaks, it's in Common. "Not as good as owlbear but good enough. Why do you bother Poor Old Warklegnaw, Hungry Old Warklegnaw, Bag of Bones Warklegnaw?"

Spoiler: Giantish

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"You uh...what?"

"Fine, fine, come have some food, giftbearers".

[Xihirli]

"He's invited us to share in his food and fire," Gaks clarified in case the others didn't pick that up from the giant's Common. She approached the giant slowly and deliberately, holding out the gauntlet for him. "Well met, great Warklegnaw. I am Gaakach. We are enemies of the Red Hand and Tiamat, and... I hesitate to make the assumption, but there were skeletons of your kinsfolk at the fort where we retrieved this. Are they also enemies of yours?"

[DigoDragon]

Freya

Freya follows Gaks lead, studying the giant's body language for his intentions.

Spoiler: Insight check if you want me to roll it.

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Insight (1d20+4)[16]

[Amnestic]

The giant's eyes darken. "Menfolk" he eyes the humans among you, "killed my kith and kin, years ago. We got 'em back though. Tore down their keep. Twintusks strong then. Now? Rest moved on to the mountains, now just poor Warklegnaw stayed behind, honour old ways. Old ways for Old Warklegnaw. Don't know any Red Hand, don't know any Tiamat" He takes the gauntlet, running his fingers up and down its length in if not recognition then at least reverence.

Spoiler: Insight

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Can't sense any duplicity.

[stack]

Beorn holds out the copy they made of the map, "We defeated a band of hobgoblins that occupied the keep. This is a copy of a map they had. There will be an army of hobgoblins marching through here soon, if their plans proceed. This could become an unpleasant place to remain; death or slavery awaits any in their path, I would expect."

[WhismurWanders]

Roswyn takes the hunk of meat and carves a slice off with her mess kit before eating it politely. It wasn't in a halfling's nature to pass up free food, even though the thought of grilled owlbear had her more curious to that taste. She swallows what she has in her mouth before asking, "What exactly are the old ways?"

[Amnestic]

Warklegnaw plucks the map from Beorn's hands using only a finger and thumb, though each is easily as thick as Beorn's fist. With one eye he scrutinises it, moving the flapping paper closer and further away from his face. You get the distinct feeling that he can't read it. Or possibly read at all. After what seems like enough time for him to have given it a 'convincing' examination he releases it, letting it flap back down on top of Beorn. "Don't like goblins, try to hurt Warklegnaw." He holds up one arm and you can see a scabbed over wound - maybe a few weeks old, probably the size of a spearhead, near the elbow.

"Old ways is this!" He casts an arm around to gesture at the surrounding ruined fortress, still holding a chunk of dripping meat, sending sizzling fat spraying around. "This Twintusk land, Twintusk home. When menfolk attacked and ruin it, Twintusk fought back, ruin the menfolk home." He lets out a weary sigh. "Warklegnaw wanted to rebuild land, rebuild home, but rest of clan say no, live in mountains to west now. Only Warklegnaw here. Keeping fire going. Keeping Twintusk going."

[DigoDragon]

Freya

Freya shows sympathy for the old giant. Seems he hasn't been involved in the going-ons with this horde problem, but yet, still, he is quite alone here.

"The old ways; land of your birth. Land you grew up. Traditions passed down from father to son, mother to daughter. In the end, you will return to the land, become one again."

[stack]

Beorn rolls the map and stows it. "Even the mountains may not be safe if the hobgoblin army overruns this land. Your people should be warned."

[Bobthewizard]

Zuri

Zuri is impressed when Gaks starts to speak giants. Gaks really is the most intelligent person she'd ever met. Upon being offered some of the spit-roasted giant boar, Zuri daintily takes out a plate and napkin, sets them down and places the meat upon the tray. Then her sharp teeth once again emerge and she dives into the plate like a ravenous dog until all of the meat is gone. When she is finished, her teeth return to normal and she dabs her mouth with the napkin, before letting out a long, deep belch. "excuse me," she says sheepishly.

Hearing the giant's story, Zuri chimes in, "Perhaps we could talk to the people of Drellin's Ferry about restoring some of this land to the giants. A peace between men and giants. Of course that won't mean anything if the goblin horde and their dragon take over the land, enslaving menfolk and giant alike. I agree with my friend here, your people should be warned. Even if they abandoned this land, they are still your people."

[Amnestic]

The forest giant thinks, and thinks, and thinks. Possibly the most he's ever thought about something. Though he does give a good chuckle of approval at Zuri's belch. The gauntlet sits in his lap, the tusked markings prominently on display. "Twintusk may live in mountains now, but this still Twintusk land. It always Twintusk land." He gently slips the gauntlet onto one hand, flexing the fingers in it as small flashes of magic light up in recognition. "Warklegnaw go west, find Twintusk, smash puny goblin red hands, smash puny Tiamat too...after Warklegnaw finish boar." He tears another chunk of animal and dribbles the meat into his mouth with his non-gauntleted hand.

[Xihirli]

"We are headed to scout out an important choke point in Skull Gorge Bridge, hoping to foil their goals," Gaakach told Warkelgnaw. "We would welcome your company."

[Amnestic]

The giant shakes his mossy head, great green beard and mane sending out waves of wind with each shake. "Old Warklegnaw...old. Twintusks young, Twintusks strong. Much better than just Warklegnaw. Menfolk go to bridge alone."

[DigoDragon]

Freya

"I guess that is fair. We stop the hand our way, he stops the hand his way. If this horde comes, the giants would not sit idly by for long."

[stack]

Beorn gives a bow, "We thank you for your hospitality and your aid. May you find great success."

[Amnestic]

Aetus, who had previously been quiet, speaks up. "I'll go with Warklegnaw. With all the hobgoblins around, we need to make sure he reaches his clan. Once they've joined up, I'll come find you. Tracking...shouldn't be a problem." He says with a smile. Warklegnaw looks at the young ranger then reaches out and pats him on the head with an enormous palm and laughs raucously. "Little menfolk worried about Old Warklegnaw? Fine, fine, but you let Warklegnaw do talking with Twintusks, manfolk stay quiet. Not all Twintusks as nice as Warklegnaw."

With that in agreement, you spend a little bit of time finishing off the boar before going your separate ways - Warklegnaw and Aetus to the west, while the rest of the party heads east back down the trail to rejoin the road to Skull Gorge. It's getting into late afternoon, though not yet evening, by the time you reach the giant's territorial marker again.

Heading north now, the forest begins to thin, and you notice over the next mile or two that it's inclining up slightly. Finally, the forest peters out to a stretch of barren ground, about sixty feet wide, ending in a gorge. Roughly a hundred feet wide at its narrowest point, the gorge drops away precipitously to a fast rushing stream far below. The ancient Dawn Way crosses the cleft on a bridge of stone. Anchored at both ends to large stone towers with pentagonal roofs, the bridge seems sturdy despite its old age. It is, clearly, the only easy way to cross, since the gorge continues as far as the eye can see to the east and west. The four stone towers that anchor the bridge are each forty feet high. A narrow wooden stairway winds around each, leading up to an open air watchpost at the top.

A small encampment of a half-dozen tents cluster near the northern side of the bridge. Curls of smoke from campfires attest to some sort of activity. A single humanoid figure stands at the watchpost on the top of each of the four watchtowers, longbow in hand. A powerfully built hound with glowing red eyes and short ruddy fur sits watchfully near either end of the bridge. Yet the most impressive creature present is certainly the sleek and meancing green dragon that perches on the roof of the northwestern watchtower on the far side of the gorge. It lies basking in the remaining sunlight, that yet remains, but its bright yellow eyes are fixed on the bridge.

Off the road and among the trees, you're maybe twenty feet from the treeline, leaving another 40 feet of open air without any cover. Approaching any closer risks detection. You've got maybe two more hours of sunlight, maybe three before night falls. Judging from the current lack cloud cover it'll be a bright night with a shining moon and twinkling stars.

Spoiler: Skull Gorge Bridge

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[Aetus temporarily leaves the party]

You can't see how many people are in the campsite at the far end due to the distance, so the CONFIRMED targets are
Four hobgoblins (one in each tower)
Two hellhounds
A green dragon
Unknown number of campsite dwellers.

[stack]

Beorn surveys the scene, frowning. "That's no garden snake. Alright, lets make camp a safe distance. We can't afford a patrol finding us. No fire tonight, obviously. Then we can think up ways to crack this nut."

[Xihirli]

Gaks nodded at the order and retreated further into the brush, waiting for a good spot before sitting down and beginning to chant in Goblin, slowly creating a dome of force for the party to stay in.

[Amnestic]

Day 4 - 8 Days until Drellin Ferry

Gak's spell provides a welcome respite. A fire so close to the bridge could give you away, so cooked food is out of the question - thankfully the taste of the roasted direboar hasn't quite gone away. The night passes quietly - you don't see any patrols from the bridge heading south during the night and no one discovers your safety bubble. There were guard shift changes overnight, indicating that - as expected - there are more hobgoblins in the camp on the far side.

Dawn approaches for the hottest day yet. Blistering sun that seems to actively burn if you step out from under shade. The scorching heat could pose a problem for your battle plan, but it might hinder the hobgoblins just as much as it does you. The bridge itself doesn't look to have changed much from the night before. The dragon is still perched on the northwest tower

Spoiler: Scorching Heat

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First time I rolled a special weather effect!

Blistering heat that is unpleasant to travel in. Creatures that attempt to travel during day light hours require twice the ration of water, and creatures that travel for 4 or more hours, or engage in heavy activity for 1 or more hours during the day and do not take an immediate short or long rest under cover must make a DC10 Constitution saving throw or gain a level of Exhaustion.

All Fire damage rolls have a +2. All Cold damage rolls have a -2.

I don't expect the first part to matter much, second part could though!

[Bobthewizard]

Zuri

While still in Gaks magic hut, Zuri passes out the Goodberries she made the night before. She then casts animal messenger on a nearby hawk, tying a copy of the map to its leg. "Take this to Drellin's Ferry and give it to anyone dressed as a town guard. Tell them 'Give this map to Soranna, the hobgoblin horde is coming for Drellin's Ferry with a dragon. We will try to slow them down and then return.'"

She then casts beast sense on another hawk and explores the bridge, looking for weak points to focus her erupting earth and earth tremor on.

Spoiler: OOC

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Perception (1d20+4)[15] advantage as hawk (1d20+4)[19]

[Xihirli]

Gaks volunteered for the final watch Bao that she could spend the morning time refreshing her rituals l - Find Familiar to bring back her bat, Detect Magic just in case someone was cursed, and then Comprehend Languages, since one never knows.

[DigoDragon]

Freya

"So... think that dragon is the leader?" Freya asks her party quietly. She stretches and prepares, taking a few notes and praying for luck to grant them success.

[stack]

Beorn wipes away sweat, the heat even this early promising an oppressive day. "If not the leader, then I wonder who has the authority to command it? May not be in the normal command structure. I don't suppose it changes the situation though."

He waits for the hawk to complete its scouting. "Everyone ready?"

[Xihirli]

Ready to fight a dragon? Ready to die?
"Yes," Gaks said.